Perfecting printing press



OCL1'7, 19 44. H I 2,360,340

I PERFECTINQ Pnpmue' PRES-S Filed Dec.- 12, 1941' INVENTOR.

zFeso 572/41.

. lint, etc.

' Patented Oct. 17, 1944 PERFECTING PRINTING PRESS Alfred Stull Harris, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, as-

signor to Harris-Seybold-Potter Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware I Application December 12, 1941, Serial No. 422,729

. 20 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in perfecting printing presses, particularly'presses of the off-set type. Various designs of sheet fed perfecting presses have been proposed. In one such design the sheet is carried by one of a pair of printing cylinders, each of which acts as an impression cy l-- inder for the other, so that the sheet is printed -on both sides simultaneously. Such procedure gives rise to smudged printing, double impressions or incomplete transfer of ink to the paper. In certain designs the inking mechanism for one form cylinder-is underneath that cylinder. 'This arrangement is unsatisfactory due to the natural sag of the long slender inking rollers, inconvenience of location, exposure to falling paper In other designs, as applied to off-set presses, the plate and blanket cylinders which must be operated upon frequently by the pressman are obscured or inaccessible.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of means to overcome the above noted disadvantages and to provide a perfecting press which is constructed and operated according to printing and sheet handling principles which have been proven by experience to be satisfactory in connection with non-perfecting multioriented differently, whereby the feeding and delivery mechanisms may be accommodated conveniently and the inking mechanisms most effectively applied.

may be on a transfer cylinder 20.

A-further object isthe provision of a perfecting press wherein the elements of the two printing units are conveniently arranged and positioned to have work done upon them by the pressman.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with the description of that embodiment of the invention which, for the'purposes of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure is a side elevationai' diagrammatic view of a rotary oil-set perfecting press embodying the invention. 1

In the drawing the feed board 'of a press isindicated at It, at the forward end of which there are the usual front registering guides iOl, side registering mechanism I02, and intermittently acting feed-in rollers ,II and I2 which are adapted to grip each sheet in turn and present it to the grippers l3 of a first impression cylinder It. This cylinder constitutes one element of the first .printing unit of the press which also comprises a blanket or-oif-set cylinder i5 and a plate cylinder l6, all of conventional form. Above the plate cylinder ii there is an inking mechanism indicated generally by the reference numeral ll, while a dampening means to one side of the plate cylinder is indicated at [8.

As will be seen from the drawing, the axes of the three cylinders I, I5 'and I8 are located at the points of an isosceles triangle, the base of which connecting the axes of cylinders I4 and I6 is longer than the equal sides, and the triangle is so oriented that its base extends upwardly from the axis of the impression cylinder H. The sheets in being operated upon by this first printing unit pass through the triangle base.

' When the front edge of each sheet, after being imprinted, reaches the position illustrated in the drawing the grippers i3 release it to ppers l9 This cylinder in turn transfers the sheet to a second transfer cylinder 2| having a set of grippers 22, and from the latter cylinder the sheet is taken by grippers 23 on a second impression cylinder 24. There being an even number, -two .in this instance, of transfer cylinders, the sheets after being printed on the impression cylinder ll are reversed, that is to say they are transferred to cylinder with their previously printed surfaces facing toward the axis of cylinder 24, so that they may be perfected on the latter cylinder.

- Cylinder 24 constitutes one element of the second printing unit which also comprises the blanket or off-set cylinder 25 and the plate cylinder 26. The three cylinders of this unit may be arranged relatively to each other precisely like those of the first unit, but the base of the isosceles .triangle in this case extends laterally from the axis of impression cylinderfl, the triangle being inverted, so that plate cylinder 2i is dis- Above the plate cylinder 28 is an inking mechless delivery chain conveyor 32.

anism 21 which may be substantially identical with mechanism l7, and to the side of the cylinder there is dampening mechanism 28 which may be similar to mechanism l8 although it faces in the opposite direction, as must necessarily be the case inasmuch as the direction of rotation of cylinder 26 is the reverse of that of cylinder I6. The fact that the invention permits the use of similar inking and dampening mechanisms for the two units is an important factor from the standpoint of economy in production. The same thing is true, of course, of the printing cylinders themselves and of the two similar transfer cylinders. The cylinders are preferably all of one size except for the usual necessary slight differences and are driven with one rotation for each cycle of the press by interconnected gearing (not shown).

Directly above impression cylinder 24 I mount a transfer cylinder 29 having grippers 30 which are adapted to take sheets from the grippers 23 of impression cylinder. and carry the sheets upward for transfer to the grippers 3| of an end- The latter is suitably guided upward and over the plate cylinder 26 with its inking and dampening mechanisms 21 and 28, over the Working space adjacent the latter, and then downwardly for depositing the sheets onto apile 33 carried upon a delivery platform-34.

In some of its aspects the invention is applicable to rotary typographical printing'presses, in which case each printing unit has two printing elements intead of three. Otherwise the general arrangement of parts remains approximately as shown in the figure. Also, it may be desirable in some instances to increase the number of transfer cylinders to four instead of two, or to make the two transfer cylinders of double impression cylinders, each of the transfer cylinders having two sets of grippers instead of one,

whereby the time required to transfer a sheet from the first impression cylinder to the second is doubled, giving an opportunity for increased drying 'of the first imprint before the sheet is transferred tothe secondimpression cylinder.

A platform 35 is positioned between the printing units above the transfer cylinders, providing working spacefor the pressman adjacent the cylinders I5 and I6 and the inking mechanism 11. The delivery platform 34 is spaced sufliciently from the cylinders 25 and 26 and the inking and dampening mechanisms 21 and 28 to provide adequate working space from the floor upward for the pressman adjacent this unit.

Owing to the shortness of the time between printings, a part of the ink of the first printing may adhere to the surface of the second impression cylinder, forming a set-off image which prints on succeeding sheets. One of the advantages of my invention lies in the fact that, owing to the accuracy with which successive sheets are positioned on the second impression cylinder, the-set-off image always appears in exactly the same location on the cylinder, which location corresponds to the position of the printing on the sheet. Thus under ordinary circumstances there will be no smearing or double printing of the first color and cylinder 24 may be of usual construction, similar to cylinder ll.

In some cases, however, it is desirable to avoid entirely the deposition'of ink upon cylinder 24, and for this purpose I provide means for moistening the surface thereof with an ink-repellent size running at half the angular speed of the fluid, This means may be of any suitable construction and may employ any suitable moisten- I have shown the cylinder 24 as comprising a' plate 31, for example of zinc, aluminum, stainless steel, or other suitable material, grained as for lithographic usage, and secured to the cylinder by screws 38 and clamps 39. As moistening fluid the dampening solutions employed in lithographic printing may be used.

In the foregoing description I have necessarily gone somewhat into detail in order to explain fully the particular embodiments of the invention herein illustrated; but I desire it to be understood that such detail disclosures are not to be construed as amounting to limitations, except as they may be included in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A sheet fed rotary perfecting off-set printing press comprising first andsecond printing units each including a form cylinder, an oiT-set cylinder and an impression .cylinder, the cylin-' ders of one unit turning in opposite directions to the corresponding cylinders of the other unit, means for feeding sheets to the impression cylinder of the first unit, a delivery platform disposed at an end of the press opposite to the sheet feeding means and separated from the second printing unit by a working space, inking mechanism for each form cylinder disposed above the center of the latter, dampening mechanism for the form cylinder of the first printing unit disposed on the side thereof toward the sheet feeding means, dampening mechanism for the form cylinder of the second printing unit disposed-on the side thereof toward said delivery platform, gripper means arranged to convey each sheet from the impression cylinder of the first unit and place it in register and in up-side-down relation on the impression cylinder of the second unit, and means for removing the sheets from the impression cylinder of the second unit and conveying them between the inkin and dampening mechanisms of the two printing units and past the working space to said delivery platform.

2. A printing press as claimed in the preceding claim wherein the two impression cylinders are substantially the same in diameter and each is provided with a single set of sheet handling grippers and wherein the gripper means for removing a sheet from the first impression cylinder and placing it on the second comprises two transfer cylinders of substantially the same diameter as the impression cylinders, each including asingle set of sheet handling grippers.

3. A sheet fed rotary perfecting offset printing press comprising first and second spaced printing units arranged to rotate in opposite directions, each unit including an impression cylinder, an offset cylinder, a form cylinder and inking mechanism therefor arranged above the form cylinder, and sheet gripper means for conveying each sheet by its front edge partly around each of said impression cylinders and toward a delivery point. said gripper means being arranged 'to convey the sheets under the first unit form cyl: inder and its associated inker, upwardly betweenthe form cylinders and over the second unit form cylinder and its associated inker.

- '4. A sheet fed rotary perfecting off-set printing press, comprising two separate printing units each having an impression cylinder, an off-set cylinder and a plate cylinder, the axes of said cylinders intersecting the points of an isosceles triangle the base of which is longer than the equa sides thereof and joins the impression and plate cylinders, the triangle base at one end of the press extending in a. generally vertical direction from-the impression cylinder and the triangle base at the opposite end of the press extending in a lateral direction from the impression cylinder sheet transfer means between said impression cylinders, and sheet removing means above the last-named impression cylinder operatively associated with that cylinder.

5. A sheet fed rotary perfecting off-set printing press,;comprising two separate printing units each having an-impression cylinder, .an off-set cylinder and a plate cylinder, the axes of which intersect the points of a triangle the 'base of which joins the impression and plate cylinders, ,said'triangle base at the feeding end of the press extending in a generally vertical direction from the impression cylinder and said triangle base at joining the impressionand plate cylinders, the triangle base at thefeeding end of the press extending in a generally vertical direction from the impression cylinder and the triangle base at the delivery end extending in a, lateral direction from the impression-cylinder, means for feeding sheets through the base of the first triangle to the first impression cylinder, means for deliveringsheets from the second impression cylinder in a direction upwardly away from the base of the second triangle, andtransfer means between said impression cylinders adapted to present sheets to the second impression cylinder with their surfaces reversed.

'7. A sheet fed rotary perfecting off-set printing press, comprising two separate printing units each having an impression cylinder, an off-set cylinder and a plate'cylinder, the axes of said cylinders intersecting the points of an isosceles triangle'thebase of which is longer than the equal sides thereof and joins the impression and plate cylinders, said triangle base at the feeding end of the press extending upward from the impression cylinder and said triangle base at the delivery end extending in a lateral direction from the impression cylinder, sheet transfer means between said impression cylinders, and an inking mechanism arranged above each of the plate cylinders. h

8. A sheet fed rotary perfecting off-set printing press, comprisingtwo separate printing units each having an impression cylinder, an off-set cylinder and a plate cylinder, the axes of said cylinders intersecting the points of an isosceles triangle the base of which is longer than the equal sides thereof and joins the impression and platecylinders, said triangle base at the feeding end of the press extending upward from the impression cylinder and said triangle base at the delivery end extending in a lateral direction from the impression cylinder, sheet transfer means between said impression cylinders, an inking mechanism arranged above eachof the plate cylinders,

- means for feeding sheets to the upper side of the impression cylinder, and the plate cylinder of the unit at the delivery end being arranged laterally of the impression cylinder with the off-set cylinder'of that unit below the'b'ase of the triangle, sheet delivery means arranged above the second impression cylinder, and transfer means between the said impression cylinders adapted to present sheets to the second impression cylinder with their surfaces reversed.

10. A sheet fed rotary perfecting off-set print-' ing press, comprising two separate printing units each having an impression cylinder, an off-set cylinder and a plate cylinder,- the axes of said cylinders intersecting the points of anisosceles triangle the base of which is longer than the equal sides thereof and joins the impression and plate cylinders, the plate cylinder at the feeding end of the press being arranged above. the impression cylinder, and the plate cylinder at the delivery end being arranged laterally of the impression cylinder with the off-set cylinder of that unit below the base of the triangle, sheet delivery means arranged above the second impression cylinder, transfer means between the said impression cylinders adapted to present sheets to the second impression cylinder with their surfaces reversed, and inking mechanisms mounted above the respective plate cylinders.

11. In a. sheet. fed rotary perfecting printing press, first and second printing units spaced apart to form a working space between them, each unit including an impression cylinder, a platform in said working space, means for feeding sheets to .the impression cyl nder of the first unit, gripper means arranged to remove the sheets therefrom, convey them under said platform, and place them in register and in up-side-down relation on the impression cylinder of the second unit, means occupying a portion of said working space for removing the sheets from the impressioncyl'inder of the second unit and conveying them to a delivery point, and means for applying offset preventing material to the last mentioned impression cylinder between the point where it delivers sheets to said sheet-removing means and the point where it receives sheets from said gripper means. v

12. A sheet fed rotary off-set printing press comprising first and second printing units each including a plate cylinder,-an off-set cylinder and an impression cylinder, the three cylinders of each printing unit, being arranged with their axes at the apfces of a triangle and the two triangles corresponding to the two printing units being substantially the same but so arranged that the plate cylinder of one unit is disposed above its impression cylinder while that of the other unit is disposed laterally with respect to its impression cylinder, means for taking each sheet from the impression cylinder of the first unit and transferring it in register and in up-side-down relation to the impression cylinder of the second unit, sheet handling grippers on each of said impression cylinders and said transferring means,

and means for removingthe sheets from the impression cylinder of the second unit and conveying the same upwardly and over the second printing unit to a delivery point. I g

13. A sheet fed rotary off-set printing press comprising first and second printing units, each including a plate cylinder, an ofi-set cylinder and an impression cylinder, the three cylinders of each printing unit being arranged with their axes substantially at the apices of an isosceles triangle, and the two triangles corresponding to the two printing units being so arranged that the plate cylinder of one unit is disposed above its impression cylinder while that of the other unit means for removing the sheets from the impres-' sion cylinder of the second unit and conveying the same upwardly and over the second printing unit to a delivery point.

sheets from the impression cylinder of the second unit and conveying them between the inking and dampening-mechanisms of the two printing units and over one of the printing units to the delivery platform.

16. A sheet fed rotary perfecting off-set printing press, comprising two separate printing units each having an impression cylinder, an off-set cylinder and a plate cylinder, the axes of said cylinders intersecting the points of an isosceles triangle the base of which is longer than the equal sides thereof and joins the impression and plate cylinders, the plate cylinder of the unit at the feeding end of the press being arranged above the impression cylinder, and the plate cylinder of the unit at the delivery end being arranged laterally of the impression cylinder with the off-set cylinder of that unit below the base of the triangle, means for feeding a sheet into the press through the upstanding base of the first .unit triangle before the printing operation is performed on that sheet by said first unit and for feeding a sheet upwardly through the base of the second unit triangle after a printing operation is performed upon the sheet by that unit, sheet delivery means arranged to remove sheets from the top of the 14. A sheet fed rotary off-set printing press 4 disposed above its impression cylinder while that of the other unit is disposed laterally with respect to its impression cylinder, means for taking each sheet from th impression cylinder of the first unit and transferring it in register and in upside-down relation to the impression cylinder of the second unit, sheet handling grippers on each of said impression cylinders and said transferring means, and means for removing the sheets from the impression cylinderof the second unit and conveying the same upwardly and over the second printing unit to a delivery point.

15. A sheet fed rotary perfecting off-set printing press comprising first and second printing units each including a form cylinder, an off-set cylinder and an impression cylinder, the cylinders of one unit turning in, opposite directions to the corresponding cylinders of the other unit, means for feeding sheets to the impression cyl-' inder of the first unit, a delivery platform, inking mechanism for each form cylinder disposed in major part above the latter, dampening mechanism for the form cylinder of the first printing unit disposed on the side thereof toward the sheet feeding means, dampening mechanism for the form cylinder of the second printing unit disposed on the side thereof remote from the sheet feeding means, gripper means arranged to convey each sheet from the impression cylinder of th'efirst unit and place it in register and in upside-down relation on the impression cylinder of the second unit, and means for removing the second impression cylinder, and transfer means between the said impression cylinders adapted to present sheets to the second impression cylinder with their surfaces reversed.

17. A sheet fed rotary perfecting off-set printing press, comprising two separate printing units each having an impression cylinder, an oil-set cylinder and a plate cylinder, the axes of said cylinders intersecting the points of an isosceles triangle the base. of which is longer than the equal sides thereof and joins the impression and plate cylinders, the off-set cylinder of each unit being disposed on that side of its impression cylinder which is remote from the feeding end of the press, means for feeding sheets into the press "through the base of the first unit triangle toward the off-set cylinder of that unit, for transferring them from the first unit to the second unit and for feeding them through the base of the second triangle away from the oil-set cylinder of that unit, and sheet delivery means arranged to convey the sheets upwardly between the units and over the second unit.

18. In a sheet fed rotary perfecting off-set printing press, first and second printing units spaced apart to form a working space between them, each unit having an impression cylinder, an ofi-set cylinder and a plate cylinder, the axes of said cylinders in each unit intersecting the points of a triangle the base of which joins the impression and plate cylinders, the plate cylinder of the first unit being arranged above the impression cylinder and the plate cylinder of the second unit being arranged laterally of the impression cylinder with the off-set cylinder of that unit below the base of the triangle, sheet delivery means located in part above the impression cylinder of the second unit for taking sheets from the latter cylinder and/conveying them over said second unit to a point of delivery, a platform in said working space between the first unit and that part of said sheet delivery means located above the impression cylinder of the second unit, means for feeding sheets to the first unit, and means for taking sheets from the first unit, conveying them below said platform and presenting them to the second unit with their surfaces reversed.

19. In a sheet reed rotary perfecting off-set printing press jlrst and second printing units reversed, and delivery means. for taking sheets from said take-off cylinder and conveying them over said second unit to a point of delivery.

20. A sheet-fed rotary perfecting offset printing press, comprising two separate printing units each having an impression cylinder, an oflset cylinder and a plate cylinder, the axes of said inder of the second unit being arranged laterally of the impression cylinder with the off-set cylinder of that unit belowthe base of the triangle,

a take-oi! cylinder above the impression cylinder of the second unit, a platform in said working space between said take-oil! cylinder and the first unit, means for feeding sheets to the first unit, means for taking sheets from the first unit, conveying thembelow said platform and presenting them to the second unit with their surfaces 4 cylinders intersecting the points of an isosceles triangle, the base of which is longer than the equal sides thereof and joins the impression and plate cylinders, the offset cylinder of each unit being disposed on that side of its impression cylinder which is remote from the feeding end of the press, means for feeding sheets into thepress" through the base of the first unit triangle toward the offset cylinder of that unit, for transferring them from the first unit to the second unit, for feeding them through the base of the second triangle away from the offset cylinder of that unit, and for conveying them to a delivery point ALFRED STULL HARRIS. 

